DAMAGE ASSESMENT - 1971 INDO-PAK NAVAL WAR

B. Harry v.2.0, February 1, 2005

TABLE 1.1 - Indian Navy Ship to Ship kills (Western Theatre 1971)

Date Ship Weapon Victim Victim type Status

3 Dec,1971 INS Rajput Depth charges PNS Ghazi Submarine Sunk

4 Dec,1971 INS Nirghat Styx ASM PNS Khaibar Sunk

4 Dec,1971 INS Nipat Styx ASM PNS Shahjahan Destroyer Sunk*

4 Dec,1971 INS Veer Styx ASM PNS Muhafiz Minesweeper Sunk

4 Dec,1971 INS Nipat Styx ASM Venus challenger Merchant*** Sunk

8 Dec,1971 INS Talwar 4.5 " + 40mm Patrol craft** Sunk

8 Dec,1971 INS Vinash Styx ASM Harmattan Merchant Sunk

8 Dec,1971 INS Vinash Styx ASM SS Gulfstar Freighter Sunk

8 Dec,1971 INS Vinash Styx ASM PNS Dacca Tanker Damaged

8 Dec,1971 INS Brahmaputra 4.5 " 4x Patrol Craft Sunk¹

** Communications Relay Craft equipped with high power transmitter.

* Claimed by some Pakistani sources to be damaged beyond service and disputed by others. Engagement confirmed by Sqn. Cdr. (K- 25) BB Yadav.

*** American vessel carrying ammunition for .

1. At Chittagong, Eastern Theatre.

TABLE 1.2 - Indian Navy Air to Ship kills (Eastern Theatre 1971) (Incomplete list)

Date Aircraft Weapon Victim Victim type Status

4 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk^^ 20 mm PNS Comilla Gun Boat Sunk 4 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk^^ 20 mm PNS Rajshai Gun Boat Dmg^ 5 Dec, 1971 Alize' Rockets PNS Salamat Gun Boat Sunk 5 Dec, 1971 Alize' Rockets PNS Shahbaz Gun Boat Sunk 6 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Rockets PNS Sylhet Gun Boat Sunk 6 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk 20 mm Gun Boat Sunk 6 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Mixed Ondarda Merchant Sunk 6 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Mixed Thetic Charlie Merchant Sunk 9 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk ? PNS Balaghat Gun Boat Sunk 9 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Mixed Mustali Merchant Sunk 9 Dec, 1971 ? Rockets 2x LCT Sunk 9 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Mixed Makran Merchant Sunk 10 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Mixed Nordpol Merchant Sunk 11 Dec, 1971 Alize' Rockets PNS Jessore Gun Boat B&D* 12 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Bombs Al Abbas Merchant Sunk 12 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Mixed Anisbaksh Merchant Sunk 12 Dec, 1971 Sea Hawk Bombs Avlos Merchant Sunk

* Beached and destroyed in attack.

^ Only one to escape from East Pakistan to Malaysia. Serves in the till date.

^^ Eyewitnesses claim that the aircraft were Hunters but evidence and credit point to Seahawks from the Vikrant.

Indian Navy accounts make no mention of IAF Hunters and the area of interception was clearly assigned to the Vikrant.

TABLE 1.3 - Indian Navy losses

Date Victim Weapon Claimant Victim type Status 9 Dec,1971 INS Khukri 2x PNS Hangor Sunk 10 Dec,1971 Alize' (IN-203) Aim-9B PAF F-104A Aircraft SD

TABLE 1.4 - Other

Date Victim Weapon Claimant Victim type Status / Comment 9 Dec,1971 MV Zoe Karachi Port Guns Greek Merchant Sunk in Panic Fire

10 Dec,1971 PNS Zulfiquar 900 hits of 0.5 “ PAF Frigate Damage / Fratricide

TABLE 1.5 - Estimation of some of the damage inflicted on Enemy by Indian Airstrikes:

The following Wrecks were estimated:

S H I P GRT Karnapuhli 6876 Surma 5890 Ocean Enterprise 5909 Unidentified - 1 1800 AnisBaksh 6273 Al-Abbas 9142 Maihar 5983 Materan 1198 Star Altair 8962 Ondarda 8259 Thetic Charlie 2276 Lightning 7046 Mastro Stelios 8823 Chrysovalandou 8151 Rangamati 5888 Comilla Jessore 345 Sylhet Unidentified - 2 8000 Unidentified - 3 TOTAL 100,776 TONS

Select Sources:

• Salik Siddiq,"Witness to Surrender", Lancer

• Vice Admiral Mihir K Roy (Retd.) PVSM AVSM,"War in the ", SPANTECH & LANCER 1995

• Vice Admiral N.Krishnan (Retd.) PVSM AVSM,"No way but surrender-An account of Indo-pak war in the Bay of Bengal 1971",Vikas Publishing,New Delhi 1980

• "Story of the Pakistan Navy",Naval HQ,Islamabad ,1991

• Vice Admiral GM Hiranandhini (Retd.) NM,PVSM,AVSM,"Transition to triumph - Indian Navy 1965-75", Lancer International

· LLyod's Insurance casualty list, London · Hamudhar Rehman report